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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury
Deducted a star for the predictability of the plot twist, but this was FUN.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Scythe is a science fiction novel set in a near-future utopia where all forms of natural death have been eradicated. At worst, a nasty accident may render you "deadish", but only until you're revived in hospital.
The world is ruled by the Thunderhead, a benevolent AI who effectively acts as the global government. Most economic inequality has been eradicated, and everyone has access to all basic needs, albeit at a minimal level.
Humanity has given up on space colonization, causing increased resource pressure as Earth's population swells. Although the Thunderhead is developing new techniques to support the population, the pressure is too great. Humanity decides to solve the problem by choosing Scythes, a class of people who are tasked with the grave duty of choosing who will die, euphemized as "gleaning".
The novel kicks off as two teenagers, Citra and Rowan, are reluctantly recruited as apprentices to Scythe Faraday.
I tried to like this novel and its premise, but just couldn't get into it.
Firstly, the worldbuilding problems. I ended up with too many questions and objections which the novel doesn't address:
- How come people have superhealing due to "nanites" in their bodies, yet nobody has physical enhancements beyond baseline (as we would define it today)? If there's technology advanced enough to reconstruct people who are flattened into a paste, surely that same level of technology would be able to give people super-senses, super-strength, unnatural hair and eye colours, change their height, etc.
- Why is learning technology still the same as it is today, with no advancement? With the Thunderhead's vast knowledge and its ability to reconstruct minds from scratch, why isn't there knowledge-uploading tech, or even just some kind of super-learning serum that people can take?
- Similarly, why is there no mental enhancement of people through their nanites or otherwise (apart from accessing the Thunderhead through external consoles)?
- If the book is set in the future, why do people still say "his or her" (instead of "their") as though it's the 1990s? (Scythe was published in 2016.)
- How come Scythes can inflict instant, permanent death, yet nothing else does? If healing nanites can recover a person from other lethal injuries, why not the lethal injuries caused by a Scythe? The nanites wouldn't know the difference.
- The explanation of no more vehicle deaths as "All mechanical problems are totally solved, so vehicles never crash" is not believable. I would have found it more believable if the tech to protect people in crashes had advanced, even if it was as simple as "In case of a crash, the passengers are surrounded by futuristic shock-absorbing gel". Or, the most dangerous forms of transport may have been outlawed and replaced by safer ones.
With the risk of being gleaned (permanently killed) by the Scythes at the Conclave, like the woman who sold the contact poison serum, why would any salespeople ever go? - Why is
fire the only destructive method which the Thunderhead and nanites can't repair damage from? It seems quite arbitrary, given that these can repair damage from other forms of destruction. - Why all the fuss about killcraft, especially with ideas like "Scythes must be skilled at bokator (a hand-to-hand martial art)"? Scythes' victims hardly ever fight back, and even if they did, why couldn't the Scythe just pull out a gun?
- Why is maglev train technology said to have stagnated? Who says they can't go faster? It's just taken as a fact.
- Why do Scythes allow the gleaning of
children , when everyone is equally immortal and would save Earth the same amount of future resources?You could at least allow everyone to live at least one natural lifetime. I don't buy that the average Scythe, who was supposedly chosen for their compassion and morality, would vote in favour of this situation at Conclave. - Similarly, why does the worldbuilding insist that humanity has peaked, when they haven't succeeded in colonizing space? If humanity has truly peaked, and resource pressure is the biggest problem it faces, why have they totally given up on space colonization? Surely they would still try to send some people to space?
To get through the novel, you have to take this premise for granted and not question it too closely. You also have to be willing to read about a whole lot of death, which it turns out I don't find too appealing.
Secondly, the writing style. It's frank and straightforward, with almost no subtlety or subtext. Large amounts of worldbuilding are thrown down in long passages taken from the diary of a renowned Scythe, used to open each chapter. In contrast, many present-day events are summarized very quickly, missing details that would bring a scene to life.
For example, there's a scene where the two apprentices are studying the philosophy of death (amongst many other topics required by their apprenticeship). This is brushed through in a single sentence, as though none of the philosophy they read actually affected them or made them think.
Another example is when Citra is reduced to a "deadish" state in the novel, then wakes up in hospital where they have "the best icecream she'd ever tasted". What flavour is this miraculous icecream? What picture should we be painting in our imaginations? Who knows - the novel doesn't say, because it constantly omits these kinds of details.
Thirdly, the late inciting incident. It's true that Rowan and Citra are apprenticed right at the start of story. But the book's blurb promises more than that: they're also in a deathmatch where the winner will glean the loser, creating a high-stakes scenario.
This is somewhat misleading, as (a) this doesn't start until the 33 % mark, which is very late for something declared in the blurb, and (b) it implies that Faraday started the deathmatch, which isn't true.
Overall, I felt like this had a lot of potential, but it wasn't the novel for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
Death, Violence, Gun violence, Murder: The premise.
Sexual assault: One ofGoddard's Scythe lackeys briefly touches Rowan inappropriately and solicits him despite him being underage.
Sexual assault: One of
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I kept reading this book thinking it would get better and with only a few chapters left, it did. I enjoyed the flow of his writing, however the timeline of the story moved too quick with little action. The chemistry was lacking between the main characters and I found it hard to connect with them. All in all, the concept of the story was great, but it didn’t live up to my expectations. I don’t think I will be continuing this series.
”Forget what you think you know about scythes. Leave behind your preconceived notions. Your education begins today.”
4 stars. I’m so glad that this is a completed series and I don’t have to wait for any books to be released because I plan on jumping into the sequel immediately. I really, really enjoyed this book. It was my first book by Shusterman and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I love his writing style and I found this to be such an addicting and fascinating read.
The plot of this book is very unique and I like the world Shusterman has set up so far. I can tell that everything is going to get better and better as the series goes on. I loved both main characters, Citra and Rowan, but Citra was definitely the star for me. She was such a badass and I think she had the stronger development of the two but Rowan was awesome as well with all of his emo feels. I liked their relationship and the push and pull between them.
The action was great and there were so many reveals and twists and turns. It was a very exciting ride and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen next. I’m glad that I’ve finally picked up this series.
{Challenges completed:
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Greatest Love Stories Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Baking Challenge}
4 stars. I’m so glad that this is a completed series and I don’t have to wait for any books to be released because I plan on jumping into the sequel immediately. I really, really enjoyed this book. It was my first book by Shusterman and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I love his writing style and I found this to be such an addicting and fascinating read.
The plot of this book is very unique and I like the world Shusterman has set up so far. I can tell that everything is going to get better and better as the series goes on. I loved both main characters, Citra and Rowan, but Citra was definitely the star for me. She was such a badass and I think she had the stronger development of the two but Rowan was awesome as well with all of his emo feels. I liked their relationship and the push and pull between them.
The action was great and there were so many reveals and twists and turns. It was a very exciting ride and I’m excited to see what’s going to happen next. I’m glad that I’ve finally picked up this series.
{Challenges completed:
✔For Love of a Book: I Went to the Zoo Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Greatest Love Stories Challenge
✔For Love of a Book: Baking Challenge}
This is a re-read. I love this book, I think you should read it %100. My life has been so so busy and I haven’t had time to pick it up in months, it’s been to long to pick it back up.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
this is my second Neal Schusterman book and series. i first read Unwind, finishing it about a week or so ago. i was recommended both books by someone in my life and they were spot on. Schusterman can write. i liked the story, the characters, the plot twists, etc. but i found myself especially delighted by the way he put together two words i'd never consider in the same phrase, yet it worked so well. i'm definitely excited to read the second in this trilogy.
read in print (softcover).
read in print (softcover).